beam

Definition from Wiktionary, a free dictionary

Contents 1 English 1.1 Etymology 1.2 Pronunciation 1.3 Noun 1.3.1 Derived terms 1.3.2 Translations 1.4 Verb 1.5 Anagrams 2 Old English 2.1 Etymology 2.2 Pronunciation 2.3 Noun 2.3.1 Declension 2.3.2 Descendants 3 Romanian 3.1 Pronunciation 3.2 Verb 4 West Frisian 4.1 Noun

[edit] English

[edit] Etymology

Middle English beem, Old English bēam, originally meaning "tree," cognate with Dutch boom, German Baum, Old High German boum "tree"

[edit] Pronunciation

• IPA: /bi:m/
•  Audio (US)^{help, file}
• Rhymes: -iːm

[edit] Noun

beam (plural beams)

1. Any large piece of timber or iron long in proportion to its thickness, and prepared for use.
2. One of the principal horizontal timbers of a building; one of the transverse members of a ship's frame on which the decks are laid - supported at the sides by knees in wooden ships and by stringers in steel ones.
3. (nautical) The maximum width of a vessel; as, one vessel is said to have more beam than another; also called breadth. (FM 55-501).
4. The crossbar of a mechanical balance, from the ends of which the scales are suspended.
5. The principal stem of the antler of a deer.
6. The pole of a carriage.
7. A cylinder of wood, making part of a loom, on which weavers wind the warp before weaving; also, the cylinder on which the cloth is rolled, as it is woven; one being called the fore beam, the other the back beam.
8. The straight part or shank of an anchor.
9. The central bar of a plow, to which the handles and colter are secured, and to the end of which are attached the oxen or horses that draw it.
10. A heavy iron lever having an oscillating motion on a central axis, one end of which is connected with the piston rod from which it receives motion, and the other with the crank of the wheel shaft; -- called also working beam or walking beam.
11. A ray or collection of parallel rays emitted from the sun or other luminous body; as, a beam of light, or of heat.
12. (figuratively) A ray; a gleam; as, a beam of comfort.
13. One of the long feathers in the wing of a hawk; -- called also beam feather.
14. (music) A horizontal bar which connects the stems of two or more notes to group them and to indicate metric value.

[edit] Derived terms

[edit] Translations

[edit] Verb

to beam (third-person singular simple present beams, present participle beaming, simple past and past participle beamed)

1. (science fiction) To transmit matter or information via a high-tech wireless mechanism.

   Beam me up, Scotty; there's no intelligent life down here. [Star Trek]

2. To smile broadly or especially cheerfully.

[edit] Anagrams

• Alphagram: abem
• bema

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[edit] Old English

[edit] Etymology

From West Germanic *bauma-. Cognate with Old Frisian bām, Old Saxon bām (Dutch boom), Old High German boum (German Baum). The word is related in some way to Gothic 𐌱𐌰𐌲𐌼𐍃, Old Norse baðmr, suggesting a possible ultimate Germanic source *baugmaz.

[edit] Pronunciation

• IPA: /bæːɑm/

[edit] Noun

bēam m.

1. tree

   on ðæs beames bledum: on the branches of the tree

2. the Cross

   Wæs se beam bocstafum awriten: the Cross was inscribed with letters (Codex Vercillensis)

3. beam of wood

[edit] Declension

	Singular	Plural
nominative	bēam	bēamas
accusative	bēam	bēamas
genitive	bēames	bēama
dative	bēame	bēamum

[edit] Descendants

• English: beam

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[edit] Romanian

[edit] Pronunciation

• IPA: [bʲam]

[edit] Verb

beam

1. first-person singular imperfect form of bea.
2. first-person plural imperfect form of bea.

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[edit] West Frisian

[edit] Noun

beam c.

1. tree